Fulong Temple Introduction
The history of Fulong Temple in Kehu Village, Zhudong Township, dates back to the Qing Dynasty's Xuan Zong era, specifically the fourteenth year of Daoguang, in the year of Jiayin (1834). Li Siyan, the "Tongzhi" of Tamsui, was authorized to appoint Jiang Xiuluan, a native of Guangdong, to cultivate the southeastern mountains of Zhuqian. The government provided a subsidy of 1,000 taels of silver, with the participation of a Fujianese named Zhou Bangzheng, known as "Baiwan." Together, they gathered support from the Fujianese and Guangdong people in twenty-four shares, forming a collaboration of official and civilian cultivation, referred to as "Jinguangfu" and "Kanhao." The cultivation effort was led by the Jiang and Zhou families. The term "Jin" refers to official resources, "Guang" to the Guangdong people, and "Fu" to the Fujianese. At that time, the area around Kehu was surrounded by mountains, forming a central basin densely covered with forests. The indigenous people, occupying high terrain, made it difficult for attackers to advance, while the outskirts were low-lying, preventing the settlers from entering Kehu. Instead, they attacked from Sanjiao City and a small place called "Xi Xian Cai Xi Weng," assaulting the indigenous settlements in Shuqilin and others. That night, the indigenous people saw three kings descending from the sky with soldiers and were frightened, retreating without a fight by morning. In the indigenous settlement, now known as Wangye Temple Square, an elderly woman was left behind. Later, Han Chinese entered Kehu, and it was through their legends that it was learned that the Three Mountain Kings had manifested. A simple temple was built to worship the Three Mountain Kings, named "Wangye Temple." The leftover land from Zhouyuan was collectively decided by the Jiang and Zhou families and the cultivation shares to maintain the temple, which was used for burning incense and serving tea, called "Wangye Chi." During the Japanese occupation, it was known as the temple's public property "Wangye Chi." The Han Chinese cultivated rice fields and tobacco in Kehu, benefiting from the fertile land surrounded by mountains, which blocked seasonal winds and provided clear, winding streams, leading to bountiful harvests and prosperous livestock. The population suddenly increased, believed to be blessings from the spirits. There were no roads built from Zhuqian Castle to Shuqilin, meaning access from Zhuqian Castle to Kehu was limited to ox cart paths. The area near "Wangye Temple" had a transit station, and supplies were then transported manually through the routes leading to Beipu via Shangdalu, leading to thriving markets for butcher shops and general goods during prosperous times. In the twenty-first year of Guangxu (1895), in June, Japanese troops attacked Zhuqian Castle. The people in the Kehu area organized to resist the Japanese, constructing a defense on a mountain in the seventh neighborhood called "Ailiao" to guard day and night, which still bears the name Aichatu today. Opposite Wangye Temple, a night guard was established on a mountain named Gengliaotu. The Japanese, angered by the resistance from the Han people, attacked Kehu, setting fire to Wangye Temple and the surrounding village, destroying it. After the chaos subsided, in the twenty-third year of Guangxu (1897), in May, the community held a fundraising campaign to rebuild Wangye Temple, constructing a new main hall with five sections and six horizontal rooms. By the twenty-third year of the Republic of China (1934), on January 25, the statue of the Three Mountain Kings was repaired. In May that year, the Three Mountain King appeared again to relieve the people's suffering, attracting thousands of worshippers seeking divine herbal elixirs daily. By the time Taiwan was restored, in the thirty-fifth year of the Republic of China, the temple was renamed Fulong Temple. Facing natural disasters and being built with earthen bricks, it became old and leak-prone. In the seventy-year of the Republic of China (1981), the community proposed renovations, and that year the first management committee was established to revitalize temple affairs. On March 24 of the seventy-ninth year of the Republic of China, the temple organized a pilgrimage to the Mazu Temple in Meizhou, Nanshan Putuo Temple, and other notable places, bringing back an incense burner for the "Three Kings' Ladies." On November 27 of the same year, a five-day celebration and ritual was held to pray for good weather, peace, and national prosperity, further solidifying the temple's significance.
